Patriots

Washington 19, Kettle Run 0 CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. -- Jordan Carter rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns as the Patriots shut out Kettle Run (0-7). Brad Jackson added 140 rushing yards and a touchdown and Dylan Nick had 92 yards rushing for Washington (2-4). The Patriots had 387 yards of total offense, 372 on the ground. Washington's defense worked just as well as the offense, forcing six turnovers. Markee Smith, Tyrek Collier and John Spofford each had an interception.

The playoffs have begun as the first eight teams faced off for a spot in the second round. Only four survived and some were a surprise. The best game this past weekend was between Jacksonville and Pittsburgh. The Steelers had only lost one home game this season - against Jacksonville. The Jaguars looked to beat the Steelers and secure a spot in the divisional round. What started out as a close game - 7-7 at the end of the first quarter - turned into a Jaguar romp in the second and third quarters.

North Hagerstown rallied back from a 16-point deficit in the first half on Tuesday night for a 53-51 victory over Thomas Johnson. It was the Hubs' fourth straight win and sixth in the last eight contests. “We're playing with more confidence now,” North coach Kevin Hartman said. “This was a nice win and a good comeback.” The Hubs (6-6) trailed the Patriots throughout and didn't take their first lead until 6:36 mark of the fourth quarter. North was clinging to a 52-49 lead with just under 30 seconds to play when Nick Colvin came up with a key block on a potential game-tying shot.

TJ posts close victory over Goretti By DAN KAUFFMAN / Staff Writer photo: JOE CROCETTA / staff photographer Both No. 1 Thomas Johnson and St. Maria Goretti got what they wanted in Thursday's boys soccer tilt. continued Goretti managed to keep the game close despite the Patriots' severe pressure through the first half and eventually tied the game in the second half, proving the winless Gaels can compete with any team. Thomas Johnson boarded the bus for home with an expected, yet difficult 2-1 victory in its possession.

By MARK KELLER Staff Writer ST. JAMES - In a game of this magnitude, the basketball is like gold and a team must go to any lengths to protect it. But no matter how hard Thomas Johnson tried to hold onto the treasure in the closing minutes against St. John's at Prospect Hall, the Vikings kept stealing the gold. Four straight Patriots' turnovers sparked an 18-0 game-ending run as St. John's came back to defeat upset-minded Thomas Johnson, 63-49, in the semifinals of the St. James Invitational Tournament.

View all of the photos for purchase! SAINT JAMES -- Once Washington's volleyball team got its attack straightened out late in Game 1 of Wednesday's match at Saint James, the Patriots were a little too much for the Saints. Nikki Ashbaugh was the best player on the floor, finishing with 28 assists and six aces, and Washington found another gear for a 24-26, 25-23, 25-15, 25-15 victory. "She every single match gives 100 percent. I never have to question her work ethic," Patriots coach Ian Hillman said.

It's still TJ's time By DAN SPEARS dans@herald-mail.com photo: JOE CROCETTA / staff photographer The North Hagerstown boys basketball team knew it matched up well with Thomas Johnson going into their 3A West semifinal. The Hubs had the speed, had the defensive intensity, had the ability to win. continued Matching the poise of the Patriots, though, can be a near impossible task. TJ made all the right moves down the stretch Wednesday night - hitting their free throws, holding onto the ball and getting one big offensive rebound - to hold off the Hubs 66-61 before a raucous crowd on the north side.

HALFWAY - The Washington County Junior Football League held its annual Opening Ceremonies on Labor Day, followed by three football matchups - both including 'A' games for seventh and eighth graders and 'B' games for fifth and sixth graders. "This is the largest group of players that we have ever had," league president Pete Buonocore said. "There are about 1,000 players in the league. " · The Smithsburg Patriots pulled out a 6-0 win over the Hagerstown Giants in a rematch of last year's 'A' title game.

koelble@herald-mail.com FREDERICK, Md. - Thomas Johnson lost the flip of the coin on Friday night. After that, everything was on the upside in what turned out to be a walk in the park as the Patriots throttled North Hagerstown, 46-0. The Patriots (2-1), who have won two of their first three games for the first time since 2000, scored at will in the first period on the way to a 34-0 first-quarter lead in the first meeting between the schools since 1986. By halftime it was 46-0, and TJ did it on only 19 plays from scrimmage, 13 in the second quarter.

FREDERICK, Md. - Even the youngest fans on hand Saturday at Thomas Johnson High School knew they had witnessed a special game from Jermaine Thomas. "Jermaine had 51 points," a boy no more than five years old told his father as they left the gym. "That's good!" You said a mouthful, kid. Thomas put on a show in his final home game, tying a 26-year-old school record with those 51 points as the Patriots cruised past Meade 108-77 in the Class 4A East final, earning TJ another trip to the state semifinals at Cole Field House on Thursday.